Comments on: Stumbling Blocks http://zamagazine.org/analogy/stumbling-blocks/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:23:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Matt Earley http://zamagazine.org/analogy/stumbling-blocks/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Matt Earley Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:21:12 +0000 http://zamagazine.org/?p=106#comment-83 I dig this analogy. It's cool to read something with such a strong analogy that you took quite far, farther than most analogies run for. I enjoyed that, though. Very interesting to think about. We stumble over the same obstacles and resist help in our pride. Thanks Brendan! I dig this analogy. It’s cool to read something with such a strong analogy that you took quite far, farther than most analogies run for. I enjoyed that, though. Very interesting to think about. We stumble over the same obstacles and resist help in our pride. Thanks Brendan!

]]> By: Sharonl8 http://zamagazine.org/analogy/stumbling-blocks/comment-page-1/#comment-81 Sharonl8 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:41:54 +0000 http://zamagazine.org/?p=106#comment-81 Hi Brendan, Wow, what an amazing story! And a timely message for me. This week I found out that I failed one of my subjects at uni last semester. Very disappointing for me, but your message made me think about it differently. So I did not pass. I need to learn more from this subject than I learned last semester. I could get all indulgent and say that it is the uni's fault for not giving me more guidance and how can they base a whole subject on one exam...blah, blah, blah BUT what would I learn from that? What would be the point? I would simply waste ALL that energy that I could funnel into learning the lesson I need to learn to pass the subject next time. I choose to look at it as a learning experience. I choose to ask, where did I go wrong? What did I do that stopped me from learning the information I needed to learn to pass? How can I improve that? To ask those questions means I HAVE to humble myself before my peers, my teachers and myself. I have to lay my pride to the side and accept the criticism that will come from this. The difference is that I can see that if I do that, I will learn something and will get a benefit from doing this subject a second time. God sets us challenges that we fail all the time. If I had a dollar for the amount of times I have found myself in the same spiritual place because I cannot move past a pain or hurt or attitude. I have not wanted to lay down my pride so I sin the same sin again and again, thinking that I am not wrong, it is the world/God that is wrong. God sees that pride in me yet He thinks I am worthy of another chance, again and again and again. HE loves ME enough to want to prosper me, HE loves ME enough to reset the challenge and allow me to start from the start again, over and over. Countless times if that is what it takes. But if I will learn that I should lay down my pride, humble myself to Him, the lesson will be so much easier to learn. Unlike with my degree, I cannot see the future benefits He has in store for me. I cannot see what lies ahead for me if I learn this particular lesson now and stop repeating this particular sin now. I have to have faith that He will prosper me if I do the right thing. Its hard, I am only human. Be blessed, Shaz Hi Brendan,

Wow, what an amazing story! And a timely message for me.

This week I found out that I failed one of my subjects at uni last semester. Very disappointing for me, but your message made me think about it differently. So I did not pass. I need to learn more from this subject than I learned last semester. I could get all indulgent and say that it is the uni’s fault for not giving me more guidance and how can they base a whole subject on one exam…blah, blah, blah BUT what would I learn from that? What would be the point? I would simply waste ALL that energy that I could funnel into learning the lesson I need to learn to pass the subject next time.

I choose to look at it as a learning experience. I choose to ask, where did I go wrong? What did I do that stopped me from learning the information I needed to learn to pass?
How can I improve that? To ask those questions means I HAVE to humble myself before my peers, my teachers and myself. I have to lay my pride to the side and accept the criticism that will come from this. The difference is that I can see that if I do that, I will learn something and will get a benefit from doing this subject a second time.

God sets us challenges that we fail all the time. If I had a dollar for the amount of times I have found myself in the same spiritual place because I cannot move past a pain or hurt or attitude. I have not wanted to lay down my pride so I sin the same sin again and again, thinking that I am not wrong, it is the world/God that is wrong. God sees that pride in me yet He thinks I am worthy of another chance, again and again and again. HE loves ME enough to want to prosper me, HE loves ME enough to reset the challenge and allow me to start from the start again, over and over. Countless times if that is what it takes.

But if I will learn that I should lay down my pride, humble myself to Him, the lesson will be so much easier to learn. Unlike with my degree, I cannot see the future benefits He has in store for me. I cannot see what lies ahead for me if I learn this particular lesson now and stop repeating this particular sin now. I have to have faith that He will prosper me if I do the right thing. Its hard, I am only human.

Be blessed,

Shaz

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